Offset mechanism for sawmill-carriages.



No. 732,148. PATENTED` JUNE so, 190s. A. J. WEST. OFFSET ,MECHANISM EOESAWMILL CAERIAGE'S.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHE`TS-SHBET 1.

Ill Iiii f?- in l N Hdgesszs Y j W by I O l J-lnomcys No. 732,148.PATENIED JUNE 30, 1903.v A. J. WEST.

OFFSET MEOHANISM POR SAWMILL OARRIAGES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. i1. 41903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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No. 732,148. PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903. A. J. WEST.

GFPSET MEGHANISM FOR SAWMILL 'GARRIAGES.

APPLIUATION FILED rma. 11. 1903.

No MODEL. s SHEETS-SHEET a.

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UNrTED STATES d :Patented J'ine 30,1903.

ARNOLD J. WEST, OF ABERDEEN, l/VASHINGTON.

OFFSET MECHANISIVI FORSAWMlLL-CARRIAGES.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 732,148, dated June30, 1903.

Application filed February 11,1903. f Serial No. 142,890. (No model.)

To all whom, it 71mg/ concern:

Beit known that I, ARNOLD J. WEST, a citi zen of the United States,residing at Aberdeen, in the county of Chehalis and State of Vashington,have invented a new and useful Offset Mechanism for Sawmill-Carriages,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to offset mechanism for sawmillfcarriages. Itsobject is to provide an offset mechanism of exceedingly simpleconstruction which is adapted to be applied to sawmill-carriages ofordinary form with but little modification of the carriage and but smallcost. This object is attained in the construction and combination ofparts herenafterfullydescribed and claimed,and shown in the accompanyingdrawings.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a sawmill-carriageprovided with my improved offset mechanism. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection showing in solid lines the position of the parts when thecarriage is moving forward to feed a log to the saw and showing indotted lines the position of the parts of the offset mechanism after.the carriage has been gigged. Fig. 3 isatransverse section across thecarriage along the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view showingin side elevation the shrouded vdisk 16 and the split collar mountedthereon. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detailshowing the threaded block 13 in section and the screw-shaft 11 inengagement therewith. Fig. 7 is a View in longitudinal section of amodified form of the invention, showing the offset bar supported belowthe axles on the sawmill-carriage and the connectingrod 22 passingthrough a suitably placed opening in the cross-bar V3 of thecarriageframe. Fig. S is a transverse section vof the modified form ofmy invention shown in Fig. 7 looking toward the right.

The sawmill-carriage, as shown in the drawings, consists of side members1 1, end members 2 2, and a central cross-beam 3. This frame issupported on Wheels 4 4 44, rigidly secured to axles 5 5, and issusceptible of lateral movement upon said axles between stopcollars 6 6,carried by each axle and limiting the movement of the journals 7 7 uponeach axle.

8 is a bar, which willbe hereinafter referred to as the offset. bar,extendinglongtudinally of the carriage and being supported upon theaxles, for which journals 9 9 are provided near its ends. At aslightly-greater distance from each end of the bar 8 are providedjournals 10 10 for shafts 11 1l', each shaft having at one end anenlarged portion 12,which is provided with screw-threads to engage withthe correspondingly screw-threaded block 13, secured to one of the sidemembers 1 of the frame of the carriage.

In order to prevent any movement of the axles 4 or the shafts 11 intheir bearings in the offset bar 8, collars 14 14 14 14 are rigidlysecured to the axles in the manner shown, and similar collars 15 15 1515 arerigidly secured to the shafts 11.

Rigidly secured to each axle is a shrouded disk 16, and surrounding theperiphery of each of said shrouded disks is a split collar 17,havingadjusting-screws 18 18 to compensate for wear, andfriction-surfaces of suitable material provided on the inner surface ofthe split collars to engage with the periphery of the disks 16 1 6.Projecting from the lower member of the split collar 17 are radial arms19 19. Rigidly secured to the screwshafts 11 and arranged parallel tothe radial arms 19 19 are other radial arms 20 20, and securing saidarms 19 19 and 20 2O in parallel position are connecting-rods 2l 21. Inorder to insure perfect synchronism in action bctween the twoscrew-shafts 11 11, a connecting-rod 22 connects the radialarms 2O 20,and

adjustably mounted on said Aconnecting-rod 22 are two stop members 2323, adapted to engage with the central transverse beam 3 of thecarriage-frame. Rigidly secured to one of the screw-shafts 11 is a lever24, whose function will be hereinafter explained.

It will be seen from the accompanying drawings that when motion isimparted to the carriage in order to feed a log to the saw the axles 5 5will be rotated in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 2. Thisrotation of the axles is imparted to the split rings 17 17 and from themthrough theradial arms 19 19, connecting-rods 21 2l, and radial arms 202O to the screw-shafts 1l 1l. This movement causes the connecting-rod 22to be carried rearwardly until the forward stop 23 rests against theforward surface of the cross-beam 3, which pre- IOO vents any furthermovement, and therefore the split rings 1717 slip upon the disks 16 16during the continuance of the feeding movement of the carriage. When themotion of the carriage is reversed, the axles 5 5 will be caused torotate in a direction opposite to that just described, and acorresponding movement will be imparted to the split rings 17 17 andtheradial arms 19 19 extending therefrom. This rotation will be imparted tothe screw-shafts, causing them to move inward along the screw-threadedportions of the blocks 13, causing a corresponding movement of saidblocks 13 13 upon the enlarged portions 12 12 of the screw-shafts. Nowowing to the presence of the collars 1,5 15 15 15, which prevent anylongitudinal movement of the screw-,shafts 11 in their journals in theoset bar 8, and the collars 14 14: le 14 on the axles 5 5 to prevent anylateral movement of the offset bar on the axles the screwing of theshafts 11 into the blocks 13 causes the frame of the sawmill-carriage,to whichr the blocks 13 13 are firmly secured, to be shifted laterallyupon the axles 5 5.

The extent of the lateral movement of the carriage is determined, aswill be readily seen, by the amount of rotation of the screwshafts 11 inthe blocks 13 and the pitch of the screw threads. The pitch of thescrewthreads employed may be of any convenient degree, and the amount ofrotation may be determined at will by shifting the stops 23 23 upon theconnecting-rod 22 22.

It is sometimes desirable to reverse the motion of the sawmill-carriagebefore the cutis applied, and when this is done any lateral shifting ofthe carriage must be prevented. In order to provide for such reversemovements vof the carriage without osetting, the 1ever'24 is provided.As the carriage moves forward this lever is inclined forwardly, as shownin full lines in Fig. 2, and when the carriage has been oset by thevautomatic mechanism already described it occupies therearwardly-inclined position shown in dotted' lines in the same figure.It will be seen that if it is desired to reverse .the movement of thecarriage without offsetting all that is necessary is to hold the lever2-1 in the forwardlyinclined position, forwhen this is vdone the splitrings 17 17 slip upon the disks 16 and no rotation is imparted to thescrew-shafts 11 11.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and S the offsetbar is supported below the axles and journals for the axles, and screwshafts are provided in blocks screwed to the bar 8 instead of in the baritself. The radial arms 19 and 20 are attached to the upper parts of thesplit collars, l

and connecting-rod 22 lies in a plane above that of the axles andscrew-shafts and passes through a suitable opening in the cross-bar 3,which permits the required amount of vertical movement of theconnecting-rod. The operation of this form of my invention is so nearlylike that of the form already described Y in the preceding pages that nodetailed account of the operation-of the modified form is regarded asnecessary.

In the foregoing description and in the accompanying drawings I havedisclosed a preferred form of my improved offset mechanism forsawmill-carriages; but it is to be understood that various modilicationsand changes might be made therein without departing from the spirit ofmy invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the exact form andproportions shown and described.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isi 1. In amechanism of the character described, a sawmill-carriage frame shiftablelaterally on its axles and provided with a transverse beam, a barextending longitudinally of said frame journaled on said axles andsecuredagaiustlateral movement on said axles, screw-shafts journaled insaid bar, threaded blocks secured to said frame and in engagementwithsaid screw-shafts, friction devices carried by the axles, connectionsbetween said friction devices and said screwshafts, radial arms ou saidscrew-shafts, a connecting-rod between said radial arms, and stopmembers carried by said connecting-rod, substantially as described.

2. In a mechanism of the character described, a sawmill-carriageshiftable laterally on its axles and provided with a transverse beam, abar extending longitudinally of said frame journaled on said axles andsecured against lateral movement thereon, screwshafts journaled in saidbar,threaded blocks l secured to said carriage-frame and in engagementwith said screw-shafts, friction devices carried by the axles,connections between the friction devices and said screw-shafts, radialarms on said screw-shafts, a connecting-rod between said radial arms,and adjustable stop members carried by said connecting rod and adaptedto contact with said transverse beam, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aixed mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

ARNOLD J. WEST.

Witnesses:

H. A. I-IAYEs, R. H. FALCONER.

